7/21/2007 10:24:22 PM
Edmonton Vs Saskatchewan #1

The most rewarding wins to me are the ones that you have to earn. When I was young I remember racing kids in the school and allowing them to get ahead of me by a good amount before I would really turn it on, just so that the win would be more rewarding. Well last night, we certainly let them get ahead by a good amount before we kicked it into gear but it wasn’t by design. Coming out as flat as we did in the first half is really a mystery to me, I have no idea as to why one team isn’t awake from the opening bell, or why another team comes out blazing and then stalls out in the second half. If I knew that particular secret, I’d be able to make a killing in book sales to would-be coaches the world over because I’m certain it drives every coach crazy trying to find out which team is going to show up half to half, week to week. I don’t know much, but I do know what I saw. What I saw was a contagious wave of confidence that surged through each player in Green and Gold over 30 minutes of football, and was a beautiful sight to these eyes.
Down 20-1 after the first half and everyone knows what’s coming, but it still sort of takes you off guard because of who it comes from sometimes. You know there will be yelling at some point, but by whom is the key question, because I doubt it would have the same effect from everyone. The head coach and the offensive coordinator had the honors on this day and it was truly effective. Expected perhaps from coach Maciocia in some capacity but seldom seen from Jacques so it definitely makes you sit up and take notice when he comes in and begins a tirade. Sometimes it helps to be called out, to have your manhood challenged by someone from the outside looking in. Of course you have the man lined up across from you challenging you on every play which is certainly a trial within itself, but oddly enough for some that’s not enough all of the time. Occasionally it seems that when someone on the side lines, spots you losing that battle and challenges you in front of your peers to get your act together, it provides a spark for many of us.
It could have been the speech, it could have been the crowd, or we could have just realized that we weren’t playing anywhere near our capabilities but I saw a completely different team in the second half. Interestingly enough, both halves started in the same fashion for us offensively with me catching an out route for a first down. I relish that my role on this team so far calls for me to answer at key moments and to obtain first downs, either to spark a drive or to sustain a key one. This implies a level of consistency and reliability that has been otherwise lacking in my career on previous teams. It is definitely something that I take pride in, and am getting more comfortable with each week. One can’t imagine how exciting it is to make a play, and literally see your teammates lifted from it, and then go on to make plays of their own to help the cause. It was like a domino effect, and everyone was getting involved. From mine went Trevor’s, to Goldie’s, to Jason’s. And our offensive spark then gave the defence new life, both by allotting them time to rest on the sidelines, as well as seeing it in our eyes that we were hell bent on climbing out of the hole that we had dug for ourselves offensively. The defence amazingly held them to a zero point second half, and we seemed to get a few bounces our way as well in the way of drops and penalties by the opposition.
I said in an interview that I’m usually on teams that would fold at a score of 20-1 and end up losing 40-3 or something to that effect. It’s a fantastic feeling to be a part of a fighting team, one that doesn’t lay down because that’s all you can really ask of each other when push comes to shove. I got a taste of this emotional rivalry that is Edmonton V. Saskatchewan and I’m hooked on it. It has a labor day feel, in the middle of July which was unbelievable to me. It’s difficult not to be focused in with 46k screaming fans packed into your own back yard. I’m proud of the way my teammates responded when faced with adversity, and I’m glad to have been a contributing part of a game like that.
No doubt the Riders will be hungry this week, and that stadium will be hostile at best. The heat must be turned up in practice in my opinion. Now is the time in the year for me where I’m comfortable with the generic, basic aspects of my game. I’m pleased with the vanilla aspects of what I’m doing, but it’s now time for me to put more emphasis on the finer points. This stretch of games will call on some special play from many of us, and should my number be called on…I plan on being ready. ©

KP8